City Council

26.\nFIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ALHAMBRA MUNICIPAL\nCODE BY MODIFYING TITLE 20 THEREOF ADOPTING BY REFERENCE, THE 2025\nCALIFORNIA BUILDING, RESIDENTIAL, ELECTRICAL, MECHANICAL, PLUMBING,\nENERGY, HISTORICAL BUILDING, EXISTING BUILDING, AND GREEN BUILDING\nSTANDARDS CODES, WITH CERTAIN AMENDMENTS,\nADDITIONS, AND DELETIONS THERETO– F2M25-60, O2M25-4853\n\nEvery three years, the California Building Standards Commission (CBSC) publishes an\nupdated edition of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, known collectively as the\n“California Building Standards Code”. The 2025 edition of Title 24 was published on July\n1, 2025, and will become effective January 1, 2026, Statewide. California Codes can be\nviewed at: https://www.dgs.ca.gov/BSC/Codes. State law (California Health and Safety\nCode § 18938.5) requires all cities to enforce these updated codes. Cities may also adopt\nlocal amendments where justified by local climatic, geological, or topographical conditions,\nand such findings must be filed with the California Building Standards Commission. For\nthis code adoption cycle, City of Alhambra is adopting the 2025 California Building\nStandards Code directly, without incorporating the Los Angeles County amendments.\nRecent state legislation, Assembly Bill (AB) 130 (2025), placed a moratorium on\nresidential building code modifications. This prevents local jurisdictions from adopting new\nreach codes or other local standards exceeding state minimums for residential\noccupancies. Limited exceptions exist for home hardening measures, emergency\nprovisions, and codes substantially equivalent to those in effect before January 1, 2025.\nThe State codes, as adopted by the California Building Standards Commission, are\ncomprehensive, sufficient, and thoroughly address public health, life safety, and welfare.\nBy adopting the state codes directly, City Alhambra maintains compliance with AB 130\nwhile continuing to rely on robust statewide building safety standards.\nRecommended Action:\nCity Council declare introduced for its first reading the\nfollowing ordinance entitled:\nOrdinance No. O2M25-4853: An Ordinance of the Alhambra City Council\namending the Alhambra Municipal Code by modifying Title 20 thereof adopting\nby reference, the 2025 California Building, Residential, Electrical, Mechanical,\nPlumbing, Energy, Historical Building, Existing Building, and Green Building\nStandards Codes, with certain amendments, additions, and deletions thereto\nwhich ordinance will return for a second reading and adoption at a public\nhearing at the January 12, 2026 Council meeting.